A violent prison riot during family visiting hours left 10 people dead nine inmates and one visitor and 16 prisoners injured at the El Castillo Penitentiary in Mazatlan, Sinaloa on Thursday.
Sinaloa’s Public Security Secretariat confirmed the casualties with stating that injured inmates were transferred for emergency medical care. Local reports indicate prisoners used firearms during the clash, though officials have not yet specified individual causes of death.
Security forces including the Mexican Army, Navy, National Guard and state police entered the facility to regain control. Mexico’s federal security cabinet confirmed that order was restored at the penitentiary which houses approximately 1,800 inmates. State prosecutors have launched a formal investigation into the cause of the riot.
Sinaloa has experienced heightened violence since September 2024 due to an internal power struggle between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel following the arrests of key leaders.
Independent analysts point out that systemic issues across Mexico’s prison system such as severe overcrowding, excessive reliance on pretrial detention and insufficient security personnel continue to drive corruption and recurrent prison violence. A similar riot in Culiacán last year left seven dead.
